Key Points
- Around midnight on June 6 last year, during the Islamic festival of Eid in Tower Hamlets, east London, a black BMW with tinted windows spun out of control, mounted the kerb on Cotton Street, and crashed into pedestrian barriers, snapping the metal from its concrete foundations.
- Shrapnel was strewn across the tarmac, traffic stood still, and a man climbed out of the driver’s seat with his hood up and eyes down, holding a black balloon almost certainly containing nitrous oxide, known as ‘Nos’ or laughing gas.
- The driver threw the balloon back into the car before escaping uneasily on foot, in footage released online and first reported by news website London Centric.
- When the Daily Mail visited the scene six months later, 47-year-old Vas, who walks down Cotton Street to work each day, stated: ‘I don’t even notice anymore when a driver round here is sucking on one of those balloons. But I do walk as far from the road as possible because they’re out of control – it’s a death-trap. And not just for those in the cars.’
- The past few years have seen a huge increase in drug-driving cases involving nitrous oxide, many in areas with large South Asian populations such as Tower Hamlets, which has the highest number of Muslim residents in England and Wales at 40 per cent.
- Alastair Noyce, professor of neurology at Queen Mary University of London, revealed that since 2022, 80 per cent of nitrous oxide admissions to his hospital, The London Bridge Hospital in central London, have been South Asian patients, the vast majority of them men.
- Nitrous oxide, or Nos, has become the drug of choice for many young British South Asian Muslims, who – according to one Imam – erroneously believe it not to be ‘haram’ or forbidden like alcohol under their religious code.
- This has resulted in a huge spike nationally, particularly around the most diverse parts of east London, Burnley, Manchester, and Birmingham, where police seized £30,000 worth of nitrous oxide.
Tower Hamlets (East London Times) January 10, 2026 – A disturbing rise in fatalities from drivers inhaling laughing gas, known as nitrous oxide or ‘hippy crack’, has blighted communities in east London, particularly Tower Hamlets, where a dramatic crash during Eid celebrations last year highlighted the deadly menace on the roads.
The incident on Cotton Street around midnight on June 6 last year involved a black BMW with tinted windows that lost control, mounted the kerb, and smashed into pedestrian barriers with such force that it snapped the metal from its concrete foundations. Shrapnel littered the tarmac as traffic halted, and the driver emerged from the vehicle with his hood up and eyes down, clutching a black balloon almost certainly filled with nitrous oxide. He discarded the balloon back into the car before fleeing on foot, an event captured in footage first reported by the news website London Centric.
What Happened in the Tower Hamlets Crash?
The crash occurred during the Islamic festival of Eid, a time of celebration in Tower Hamlets, which boasts England and Wales’ highest proportion of Muslim residents at 40 per cent. Eyewitness accounts and footage revealed the driver’s apparent intoxication from nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as ‘Nos’ or laughing gas, a substance increasingly linked to drug-driving incidents. As reported by the Daily Mail, when journalists revisited the scene six months later, local resident 47-year-old Vas, who walks Cotton Street daily to work, shared his fears: ‘I don’t even notice anymore when a driver round here is sucking on one of those balloons. But I do walk as far from the road as possible because they’re out of control – it’s a death-trap. And not just for those in the cars.’
This single event underscores a broader crisis, with more people being killed by vehicles driven by those under the influence of laughing gas. The Daily Mail’s investigation points to a sharp escalation in such cases over the past few years, transforming once-familiar streets into zones of peril for pedestrians and other road users alike.
Why Is Nitrous Oxide Driving Cases Surging?
Drug-driving incidents involving nitrous oxide have surged nationally, with a particular concentration in diverse urban areas. Tower Hamlets exemplifies this trend, but the problem extends to Burnley, Manchester, and Birmingham, where police operations have targeted the drug’s proliferation. In Birmingham, for instance, authorities seized nitrous oxide canisters valued at £30,000, signalling organised distribution networks feeding the habit.
Professor Alastair Noyce of neurology at Queen Mary University of London provided stark medical evidence, stating that since 2022, 80 per cent of nitrous oxide-related admissions to The London Bridge Hospital in central London have involved South Asian patients, predominantly men. This demographic pattern aligns with areas of high South Asian populations, where the drug’s appeal appears rooted in cultural and religious perceptions.
Who Is Most Affected by This Drug Trend?
While nitrous oxide use spans demographics, young British South Asian Muslims form a significant cohort, according to sources cited in the Daily Mail investigation. One Imam, speaking anonymously, explained that many erroneously view the substance as not ‘haram’ – forbidden under Islamic law – unlike alcohol, making it a perceived ‘safe’ recreational choice. This misconception has fuelled its rise as the ‘drug of choice’ among this group, exacerbating road safety risks in communities like Tower Hamlets.
Local residents like Vas bear the daily brunt, altering their routines to avoid roadsides turned treacherous. The Daily Mail notes that the issue endangers not only those in vehicles but pedestrians, with uncontrolled driving patterns – spinning wildly, mounting kerbs – creating a persistent ‘death-trap’.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Impact Health and Safety?
Nitrous oxide’s neurological effects are severe, as outlined by Professor Alastair Noyce. Admissions to The London Bridge Hospital reveal long-term damage, with 80 per cent of cases since 2022 involving South Asian men, pointing to acute health crises from repeated exposure. Inhaling the gas impairs coordination and judgement, directly contributing to crashes like the Cotton Street incident, where the driver’s disorientation led to catastrophic loss of control.
The footage from London Centric captures the immediate aftermath: shrapnel across the tarmac, stalled traffic, and the driver’s unsteady escape, balloon in hand. Such scenes have become alarmingly routine, with the Daily Mail’s six-month follow-up confirming ongoing community fears.
Where Are the Hotspots for Laughing Gas Incidents?
East London’s Tower Hamlets leads, but the menace spreads to Burnley, Manchester, and Birmingham. In these diverse hotspots, police seizures underscore supply chains, like the £30,000 haul in Birmingham. Tower Hamlets’ 40 per cent Muslim population correlates with higher incidences, tying into the cultural uptake noted by the Imam.
The Daily Mail investigation reveals a pattern: spikes around festivals like Eid, when celebrations intersect with reckless use. Vas’s testimony from Cotton Street illustrates how everyday commutes now demand vigilance, far from the road’s edge.
What Do Experts Say About Demographic Patterns?
Professor Alastair Noyce’s data from Queen Mary University of London is unequivocal: 80 per cent South Asian admissions at The London Bridge Hospital since 2022. He attributes this to nitrous oxide’s rapid-onset impairment, mirroring the Cotton Street driver’s behaviour.
The unnamed Imam’s insight into religious misconceptions – viewing Nos as halal alternative to alcohol – explains uptake among young British South Asian Muslims. London Centric’s footage corroborates real-world consequences, first bringing the incident to light.
What Measures Are Police Taking?
Police responses include major seizures, such as £30,000 worth in Birmingham, targeting dealers in east London, Burnley, Manchester, and beyond. The Daily Mail highlights increased drug-driving prosecutions, yet the ‘huge spike’ persists, outpacing enforcement.
In Tower Hamlets, post-crash investigations focused on the BMW driver, whose nitrous oxide balloon discard implicated the drug directly. London Centric’s online release of footage aided identification efforts.
Why Is This a Particular Blight on Certain Communities?
Tower Hamlets’ 40 per cent Muslim demographic faces disproportionate impact, as Vas attests. The Daily Mail links this to Nos’s perceived religious acceptability, driving usage among youth and spiking incidents during Eid.
Professor Noyce’s hospital stats reinforce the South Asian focus, while national trends in diverse cities amplify the crisis. Communities report normalised balloon-sucking at wheels, turning streets into hazards.
What Lies Ahead for Road Safety?
The investigation warns of escalating deaths without intervention. Vas’s daily caution – hugging pavements – reflects grassroots alarm. Police seizures and medical data demand urgent policy, targeting misconceptions and supply.
As the Daily Mail concludes, one community – Tower Hamlets – stands particularly blighted by this ‘latest choice of deadly drug’, with Cotton Street’s snapped barriers a stark symbol. Broader action across east London and beyond remains critical.
